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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25192192">Gҽƚ Aʅσɳɠ, σɾ Nҽʋҽɾ Gσ Hσɱҽ</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Friendship, Gen, Pokegirl-centric, Pokemon Transformation, Transformation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:48:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,740</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25192192</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Misty, May, Dawn, Iris, Serena, Lillie, Mallow, Lana, and Chloe are all facing their own problems. </p><p>So, clearly them turning into Pokémon in another world isn't THAT big of a deal. </p><p>Except they're fighting with one another, are all disoriented, and might not be able to get home. </p><p>Eh, still not that big of a deal.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruka | May &amp; Hikari | Dawn, Haruka | May &amp; Iris, Haruka | May &amp; Kasumi | Misty, Haruka | May &amp; Lilie | Lillie, Haruka | May &amp; Mao | Mallow, Haruka | May &amp; Sakuragi Koharu | Chloe Cerise, Haruka | May &amp; Serena, Haruka | May &amp; Suiren | Lana, Hikari | Dawn &amp; Iris, Hikari | Dawn &amp; Kasumi | Misty, Hikari | Dawn &amp; Lilie | Lillie, Hikari | Dawn &amp; Mao | Mallow, Hikari | Dawn &amp; Sakuragi Koharu | Chloe Cerise, Hikari | Dawn &amp; Serena, Hikari | Dawn &amp; Suiren | Lana, Iris &amp; Kasumi | Misty, Iris &amp; Lilie | Lillie, Iris &amp; Mao | Mallow, Iris &amp; Sakuragi Koharu | Chloe Cerise, Iris &amp; Serena, Iris &amp; Suiren | Lana, Kasumi | Misty &amp; Lilie | Lillie, Kasumi | Misty &amp; Mao | Mallow, Kasumi | Misty &amp; Sakuragi Koharu | Chloe Cerise, Kasumi | Misty &amp; Serena, Kasumi | Misty &amp; Suiren | Lana, Lilie | Lillie &amp; Mao | Mallow (Pokemon), Lilie | Lillie &amp; Sakuragi Koharu | Chloe Cerise, Lilie | Lillie &amp; Serena, Lilie | Lillie &amp; Suiren | Lana, Mao | Mallow &amp; Serena, Sakuragi Koharu | Chloe Cerise &amp; Serena, Sakuragi Koharu | Chloe Cerise &amp; Suiren | Lana, Serena &amp; Suiren | Lana</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue: Meet the Heroes, and the Mess the Council Made</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Cover!</p><p>Misty stifled a yawn as she clicked off the TV. She wished that if she called her sisters, they would agree to handle the Cerulean City Gym while she ran off to Hoenn to see May, and that other girl she had talked to on their call earlier that day, Dawn. But knowing her sisters, there was such a low chance of them ever doing such a thing, so why bother?</p><p>She had been lucky to take the time off to see Ash and his classmates in Alola, not once, but twice! And that luck had most likely run out.</p><p>Sometimes, Misty wished she had chosen a different path. Maybe if she had aspired to be a Pokémon Coordinator like them, instead of a Water-type Master, she would have more time to spend with friends.</p><p>But, Misty knew that, hopefully, being a Water-type Gym Leader would eventually pay off. And when it did, she would have all the time in the world to spend with them.</p><p>She climbed into bed, but sleep never came. After half an hour of lying there wide awake, Misty reluctantly turned the TV back on.</p><p>"So, Miss Yvonne, why do you think the shift from a Performer to Coordinator has been so difficult for you?"</p><p>"Oh, I'm still a Pokémon Performer. I'm just practicing in Hoenn until the next Master Class comes around."</p><p>Misty scowled at the girl onscreen. All she did was dance around on a stage, and that garnered fans worldwide. Misty put blood, sweat, and tears into her job as a Gym Leader, and all she got was a few measly vacation days.</p><p><em>Damn Performers</em>, she thought. <em>They don't give a crap about their Pokémon. They only want fame.</em></p><p>She shut the TV off. Staring at the ceiling would be better than listen to some airhead talk about how hard her life was.</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>"Should we call Misty again? She seemed sad this morning," Dawn asked.</p><p>"It's late, Dawn. It's hard being a Gym Leader. My dad's one, after all. She needs sleep."</p><p>"I guess." Dawn turned her attention to the television screen. "What do you think about that Serena girl?"</p><p>"Eh, I dunno. I haven't really watched any Pokémon Showcases, so I can't compare them to Contests."</p><p>"Me neither. I've heard Showcases are only for girls, though."</p><p>"Then I wonder if she was surprised when she saw the boys who were competing?" May joked.</p><p>"Heh, maybe. Anyway, are you ready for the upcoming Contest?"</p><p>"Of course! I got a Hoenn Contest Pass for a reason."</p><p>"Yeah. Thanks for inviting me to come with you."</p><p>"Of course! I've participated in a few, but then I went with Cynthia to Unova. Speaking of which, did I tell you about Iris?"</p><p>"Nope. Who is she?"</p><p>"She's aspiring to be a Dragon Master, kinda like how Misty wants to be a Water Master. She actually beat me in a battle."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"Yeah! And the Pokémon wouldn't even listen to her!"</p><p>"You should practice more, then. Contest Battles aren't regular battles, but it's still good to know the basics."</p><p>"Right. But, that's tomorrow. For now, we should probably sleep."</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>"I can't believe Rayqauza got this far away," Iris muttered as she, Gible, and Axew broke through the undergrowth of Johto.</p><p>"Gib!" <em>"It can fly. What were you expecting?"</em></p><p>"Well, yeah, it can fly! Only a little kid wouldn't know that! But, it doesn't have <em>wings</em>."</p><p>
  <em>"How wise. It's a Legendary Pokémon! The rules don't apply to it!"</em>
</p><p>"I can think of a few instances where that isn't true."</p><p>"Axe!" <em>"Perhaps we should stop? I know you have great endurance, Iris, but this might be too much."</em></p><p>"We're not stopping until I have that Rayquaza!" Iris growled as she nearly tripped over a tree root. Unlike Unova, Johto didn't have any vines she could swing from. Iris felt like a baby every time she fell. "If there were vines here, I'd be commanding that Legendary Pokémon in a rematch of Claire right now!"</p><p><em>"C'mon, Iris. We should head back to Blackthorn City," </em>Axew insisted.</p><p>"Look, how about a compromise? We make camp, and keep heading towards Rayquaza tomorrow?"</p><p><em>"Works for me,"</em> Gible said as it lay down, and began sleeping.</p><p>
  <em>"Woah, that was fast! You gotta teach me how to do that!"</em>
</p><p>Iris sighed as she rolled out her sleeping bag. It was gonna be a long night.</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>"I can't believe I lost. For the fricking <em>third </em>time in a row!" Serena shouted as she opened the door to her hotel room.</p><p><em>"C'mon Serena! Don't beat yourself up!" </em>Sylveon comforted her.</p><p><em>"Yeah! At least you didn't get disqualified, like at the Coumarine Showcase!" </em>Pancham said.</p><p>Braixen shot him a death glare, and he shut up.</p><p>"It doesn't matter! I'm failing! At this rate, I'll never collect a single ribbon, much less become Kalos Queen!" she wailed.</p><p>
  <em>"C'mon-"</em>
</p><p>"No! I can't do anything right!"</p><p><em>"Stop being so dramatic." </em>When the only response Braixen received from her was a sob, she tried again. <em>"What would Ash say if he was here," </em>she said while rolling her eyes. Serena's 'crush' was borderline obsessive.</p><p>"That I can never give up! But how am I supposed to keep trying when all my efforts are in vain?"</p><p>
  <em>"Look, you have to keep trying. Didn't you promise him you would be a better person when you met again?"</em>
</p><p>"Yeah... you're right. I have to keep trying... Hopefully, next time, I'll be able to succeed!"</p><p>Braixen watched her nervously as Serena began detailing her plan for the next Contest. When would she learn to rely on herself, and not others, especially not Ash?</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>Lillie paced in her room. <em>Why is the tracker just leading us in a circle? It's one specific spot, just around, and around! </em>she thought as Snowy curled up on her bed.</p><p>"At this rate, I'll never find Father," she mumbled as she collapsed onto her bed.</p><p><em>"Maybe Magearna's glitching? Mechanical stuff does that, right?" </em>Snowy suggested.</p><p>"Maybe. Let's hope so." Because Lillie wasn't sure what to do if it wasn't.</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>"Mallow! Are you finished with the dishes?" Ulu, her brother, asked.</p><p>"Almost! I have one left!" she answered.</p><p>"Okay!"</p><p>Mallow finished drying it off, and put it back in its spot in the cabinet. With a twinge of sadness, she remembered how Shaymin would occasionally nuzzle her when she finished.</p><p>It had been a while since Shaymin had changed into Sky Forme, but Mallow wasn't completely healed. She would still tear up a bit when she remembered their goodbye.</p><p>But Shaymin was happy now. Ulu's Gracidias flower had made sure of that.</p><p>Still, Mallow was one of her few classmates who <em>hadn't </em>left on vacation. It meant she would have more time to work at the restaurant, but she still missed seeing her friends every day.</p><p>But once vacation was over, she would she them all again. Well, except for Ash.</p><p>She'd just have to wait until then.</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>"Don't worry Lana. Tomorrow, I'm sure we'll find some Manaphy," her father assured her.</p><p>"It's okay. Primarina, Sandy, and I are gonna head to bed."</p><p>So far, Lana had enjoyed the ocean survey with her father. Sure, they hadn't found any Manaphy yet, but it was the journey, not the destination.</p><p>Of course, the destination was great too. But it still looked like that destination was still a long way off.</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>Chloe sighed as she crept into bed. It had been a long day. There was all that had happened at school, seeing her mom, and the Gengar incident.</p><p>And everyone else still assumed she secretly loved Pokémon, and that she was going to be just like her father. They had already made it clear at school, and the looks Goh and Ash gave her only confirmed what she already knew.</p><p>One day, she would know what she wanted. But that day wasn't today, or tomorrow, or the day after that. That probably wouldn't come for years.</p><p>And for now, all she could do was wait.</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>"They're coming," Reshiram said. "And we can't stop it."</p><p>"But the prophecy's already fulfilled!" Zekrom protested. "How will they get back home?"</p><p>"There are ways," she replied. "They'll find them. They were the original chosen for a reason."</p><p>"Have you seen them?" he growled. "They're all either having sleepovers, crying, or sleeping in the wilderness. They're a mess."</p><p>"Have some faith," Reshiram said. "It's not like we can do anything to prevent it. These events were preordained by the Council."</p><p>"The Council is full of idiots!" he roared.</p><p>"Obviously. Why else would they let you on it?" she said. "Seriously though Zekrom, you voted for them."</p><p>"Well, I take my vote back! And <em>you </em>were the one to replace them."</p><p>"And the Dark Vortex is gone, so clearly I was right. The PokéPark is safe now. They will face no danger."</p><p>"Then so be it."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Being in a Whole New World Sucks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillie stretched as she woke up. When she saw that she was surrounded by blurry whiteness, she blinked. <em>Snow? </em>she thought. <em>But I was on a boat nowhere near anyplace cold! </em></p><p>Even stranger, she didn't find herself freezing in the sub-zero temperatures.</p><p>Lillie pushed herself up, and rubbed her eyes with her hands.</p><p>Only they weren't hands.</p><p>"What?!" she exclaimed, startled. "My h-hands... they look like Snowy's paws..." She started to piece together what was happening.</p><p>"I'm dreaming!" she said, relieved. "For a second there I though I had turned into a Pokémon!"</p><p>"Helloooooo!" a voice echoed from somewhere far away. Suddenly, a flame appeared low in the sky, a few yards away from where Lillie was standing.</p><p>She bounded over towards its origin, and found a Kantonian Vulpix.</p><p>"Oh, an Alolan Vulpix! Wait... But I'm in Hoenn!" the Vulpix said.</p><p>"You're in Hoenn?! But I was off the coast of Kanto!" Lillie shouted.</p><p>"Wait, how can I understand you?! You're a Pokémon!"</p><p>"Uh, you're one too. Didn't you just use Ember a few seconds ago?"</p><p>The Vulpix stared at her paws. "That was <em>me</em>?"</p><p>Lillie nodded.</p><p>"But... I'm a human!"</p><p>"I thought I was too. Don't worry, this is just a dream."</p><p>The Vulpix reached over to Lillie and pinched her, hard.</p><p>"Oww!"</p><p>"I don't think this is a dream," she said darkly.</p><p>"What do we have to do if it isn't?"</p><p>She shrugged. "We should probably find shelter. This area is mountainous... Even though you're an Ice-type and I'm a Fire-type, we still couldn't survive an avalanche or blizzard."</p><p>"Right. I'm Lillie."</p><p>"May... wait! Where's Dawn?!"</p><p>"Dawn? Who's that?"</p><p>"The girl I was with back in Hoenn! She might be here too!"</p><p>Lillie looked around. All she saw was jagged cliff faces, rocky outcroppings, and snow as far as the eye could see.</p><p>"May, we have to get going. We might see her, eventually."</p><p>She sighed. "Okay. What direction are we heading?"</p><p>Lillie looked up at the sun. She remembered that Father's journal had said about how the sun rises in the east, and set in the west. "Uhm... I think it's morning... so that way's east." She pointed towards the sun. "And there's west." This time she pointed in the opposite direction.</p><p>"Which way should we go?"</p><p>"South."</p><p>"Why south?" May asked.</p><p>"Just because. Do you have a better idea?"</p><p>May shook her head, and started padding through the snow southward.</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>"Oh God, it's freezing!" Misty shouted as she woke up. "Hey, did someone dump me into the pool or something?!"</p><p>She got up, and realized that she wasn't near a pool, or any other body of water, at least not liquid water.</p><p>She had almost been completely covered by snow, and proceeded to shake it off. But when she tried to stand up, she ended up falling down.</p><p>Misty tried again, but fell on her back. When she opened her eyes, she didn't see what she was expecting.</p><p>Her arms ended in four turquoise paws, and a tail with a fin was wiggling in the air. Only one thing had all those characteristics.</p><p>"I'm a Vaporeon?!"</p><p>"Is someone else there?"</p><p>She rolled onto her stomach, and pushed up with her paws, standing on all fours. A few feet away, facing her, was a Flareon.</p><p>"Oh, I'm so happy to see someone else! I thought I was all alone! And I'm a Pokémon now, for some reason. Oh, but you're one too!"</p><p>"You mean you weren't always a Pokémon?" Misty asked.</p><p>"Nope. I'm a human, a Pokémon Performer. But now..."</p><p><em>A Pokémon Performer? </em>Misty thought. <em>Great. I'm a Vaporeon in a freezing mountain, and the only person who will be by me when I die is some idiotic self-proclaimed celebrity. My odds aren't looking</em> good.</p><p>"My name's Serena. Serena Yvonne. Can you tell me where a nearby town is?"</p><p>"I'm a human too," Misty snarled. "I'm just as clueless as you are."</p><p>Her eyes narrowed. "Oh. You won't be any help, then."</p><p>Misty had to resist the impulse to slap this girl with her tail. "When you actually get to safety, <em>then </em>you can tell me how little help I right now, we're in this together."</p><p>"Sadly."</p><p>Misty growled, and started walking. When Serena didn't follow, she turned back around. "You coming?"</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>Mallow heard a scraping sound as she awoke. When she opened her eyes, a Jangmo-o was sliding one of her claws against the ground.</p><p>"Oh good, you're awake. I was starting to worry," she said.</p><p>"Wait! How can I understand you? You're a Pokémon!"</p><p>The Jangmo-o sighed. "Haven't you noticed? Newsflash: you're a Leafeon. Last time I checked that was a Pokémon too."</p><p>"I'm a- what?!"</p><p>The Jangmo-o nodded. "I take it you used to be human, like me?"</p><p>Mallow nodded as she shifted into a sitting position.</p><p>"Iris," she introduced herself.</p><p>"I'm Mallow. And what's going on?"</p><p>Iris shrugged. "Beats me. Thought I was supposed to be in a forest in Johto, hunting Rayquaza, but now I'm here."</p><p>"I was at my house in Alola. Those two regions are so far away... why are we <em>both </em>here?"</p><p>"I already said: I don't know. But now that you're awake, we can get out of this cave and find out."</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>Dawn awoke to find a Popplio standing beside her, nudging her.</p><p>"Huh? What the... what's a Popplio doing here?" she murmured.</p><p>"I would ask the same about you, but you're a Glaceon in the mountains. It's not that odd."</p><p>"A Glaceon?! Impossible! And how can you speak?!"</p><p>The Popplio shrugged. "I mean, we're both Pokémon, and Pokémon can understand each other." She glanced over at a purple lump a bit farther away, that looked like it had been dug out of the snow just recently. "Oh, and you should probably help that that Espeon. I think she's slowly freezing to death."</p><p>"What?!" Dawn gasped. She got to her feet (well, paws) and dashed over.</p><p>The Espeon lifted her head up. "What- a Glaceon?"</p><p>Dawn glanced back at the Popplio.</p><p>She shrugged. "Hey, she's alive! That's a good thing!"</p><p>Dawn turned back to the Espeon. "Are you okay?"</p><p>The Espeon looked around before answering. "I'm a Pokémon in the middle of the mountains, surrounded by strangers. I couldn't be better," she said sarcastically.</p><p>"Wait... when you say you're a Pokémon... Were you not always like this?"</p><p>The Espeon snorted. "Obviously not. If I was, would I be here?"</p><p>"So, we're all humans?" the Popplio asked.</p><p>Dawn and the Espeon nodded.</p><p>"If we were all humans at one point... There's gotta be a reason we're all together. This <em>can't </em>be a coincidence," Dawn said.</p><p>"We should travel together, then. I'm Lana," the Popplio said.</p><p>"Chloe," the Espeon said curtly.</p><p>"Dawn. Let's get going then, shall we?"</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>"How much longer until we reach civilization?" May asked. She and Lillie had been walking together for at least an hour.</p><p>"I don't know. The geography of this place... It's not like any region I've ever studied before."</p><p>"I knew you wouldn't be any help! How am I supposed to stop you from freezing?!" A voice shouted.</p><p>"You're a <em>Fire-type</em>. Use Ember or something."</p><p>"I've been a Flareon for less than a day! When you can use Water Gun, then we'll talk!"</p><p>May and Lillie exchanged glances. If the voice had been a Flareon for less than a day...</p><p>"You don't think... that there are <em>more </em>people turned Pokémon out there, do you?" Lillie asked.</p><p>"There's only one way to find out." May started a wild dash towards the origin of the argument.</p><p>"Hey! Wait up! It's hard to run in snow this deep!" Lillie called after her.</p><p>May didn't stop. After a few seconds of sprinting, she came upon the duo, a Vaporeon and Flareon.</p><p>"I betcha <em>that </em>Fire-type can use Ember, or even Flamewthrower," the Vaporeon hissed.</p><p>"Can you leave me alone?! That's a <em>real </em>Vulpix; I'm just a human in a Flareon's body!"</p><p>"No! I'm a human too!" May corrected her.</p><p>The Vaporeon looked her up and down. "Hey... You sound familiar... May, is that you?"</p><p>May stepped back a bit. "Y-yeah. And you are?"</p><p>The Vaporeon grinned. "C'mon, May. It's me, Misty!"</p><p>"Misty! I know a Misty!" Lillie shouted as she finally ran down to where the group was talking.</p><p>"Lillie, you're here too? It's nice to know there are <em>civilized </em>people here," Misty said, tossing a glare to the Flareon.</p><p>"Well, it's <em>great </em>that you all know each other already," she said dryly. "I'm Serena."</p><p>"Serena? Hey, are that Pokémon Performer participating in Contests in Hoenn? I've seen you on TV!"</p><p>Serena nodded, and sneered at Misty. "Yes, that's me."</p><p>May looked between the two. "Look, you guys are gonna have to get along if we're gonna solve this whole mess, alright?"</p><p>"<em>She </em>started it!" Serena accused Misty, sparking another bitter argument.</p><p>May sighed. "This is gonna be a long trip."</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>"Hey, I think I hear shouting," Mallow said.</p><p>"Yeah, some Pokémon are arguing. They're such little kids."</p><p>"I dunno. They sound familiar... I think we should go check it out."</p><p>Iris thought for a second. As a Jangmo-o, she didn't have the protection of fur against the bitter winds. There was a chance that those Pokémon had fire, or something else warm...</p><p>"You're right. But we'll keep our distance at first, okay?"</p><p>Mallow nodded, and started speeding up.</p><p><em>Curse my stubby legs</em>, Iris thought. It was all she could do to try and keep up.</p><p>Wait... was <em>she </em>the little kid in this situation? Impossible! Height didn't decide wether someone a kid! Maturity did! And Iris was <em>very </em>mature.</p><p>After a while, she caught up with Mallow, and could see the Pokémon down below.</p><p>"An Alolan and Kantonian Vulpix, and a Flareon and Vaporeon," Mallow noted.</p><p><em>Two Fire-types! I'll be warm for sure! </em>"C'mon, then. They seem friendly enough."</p><p>"You're a hypocrite!" the Flareon shouted, and it was loud enough to drift up to Iris and Mallow.</p><p>"I'm the Tomboyish Mermaid! <em>Clearly </em>I'm not girly!"</p><p>"You're acting like being girly is a bad thing!"</p><p>"Uhm... I don't really want to get involved in that," Mallow said.</p><p>"Doesn't matter."</p><p>Mallow sighed as Iris started walking, but quickly surpassed her.</p><p>"Uhm... Do you need he-"</p><p>"I'm <em>fine</em>," she snapped.</p><p>Mallow recoiled, and Iris felt a twinge of guilt. "We need to focus on the matters at hand."</p><p>"Don't you mean <em>paw</em>?" Mallow joked.</p><p>Iris sighed. "Hey, you guys! Vulpixes and Eeveelutions!"</p><p>The group, even though they were pretty far on ahead, turned around. Iris stumbled through the snow toward them. Mallow tried to go at her pace, but failed, and gave up, running along ahead.</p><p>"<em>Ahem... </em>I'm Iris, and this is Mallow," she introduced herself when she finally reached them.</p><p>"Mallow!" the Vaporeon and Alolan Vulpix shouted in unison.</p><p>"Iris? Do you know a Dawn, by any chance?" the Kantonian Vulpix asked.</p><p>"Oh, yeah. Wait... Are you guys humans too?"</p><p>The others all nodded.</p><p>"Wow... There are so many of us..." Mallow murmured.</p><p>"So, uh... you guys gonna introduce yourselves?" Iris asked.</p><p>After they had, the group continued on their path, heading southward once more.</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>"So, Chloe, what do you like to do?" Dawn asked.</p><p>"Oh... Well, I have school," she answered, secretly hoping the Glaceon would back off and ask Lana some questions.</p><p>"Oh, me too! I was on vacation before I ended up here, though. I was going out with my dad on an ocean survey, to try and locate some Manaphy!"</p><p>"Cool!" Dawn exclaimed. Chloe couldn't help but think her bubbly enthusiasm was just a facade, a show to try and lift morale. Well, it wasn't working on her.</p><p>At least not by much.</p><p>Of course, the fact that they all had to move at a Goomy's pace because of Lana and her flippers was already starting to grate on her nerves. At this rate, they would be rotting corpses before any of their questions were answered.</p><p>And Chloe had so many questions. Why were they there? Was this world different from their own? Did humans exist here? They all swirled around in her head, nearly giving her a migraine.</p><p>"Hey, I think I see something!" Lana called out. "Up ahead! A large group of Pokémon!"</p><p>"Really?" Dawn asked excitedly. "Lead the way!"</p><p>Except, as mentioned above, Lana wasn't fast. At. All. It took them forever to even get in vocal range of the Pokémon so they could call for them.</p><p>"Hey you guys!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. (or would they be a lung-gill combination?)</p><p>The group stopped, and waited for them to catch up. They weren't as large as Lana had made it sound, but six Pokémon was nothing to sneeze at, not when you were in isolated territory.</p><p>"Are you guys human too?" a Vulpix asked.</p><p>"How'd you know... Wait! May!" Dawn exclaimed.</p><p>"Dawn? I can't believe it!"</p><p>The two hugged each other, or at least tried to.</p><p>"Wait... What if..." the Vaporeon mused, then turned to Lana. "Lana, is that you?"</p><p>"Yeah! Misty?"</p><p>"And Mallow and Lillie too!" the Leafeon exclaimed.</p><p>Chloe watched silently as all of them had some kind of happy reunion. The fact that most of them knew each other... It couldn't be a coincidence.</p><p>"So, now that the pleasantries are over," a Jangmo-o named Iris began, "we should find shelter. It's getting late, after all. I believe a cave should suffice."</p><p>The others nodded, and even Chloe had to admit that, while not very original, it was a sound plan.</p><p>After maybe forty minutes of walking (dang it, Lana and Iris), they found a cave. It was small, but sheltered, and it would work for the time being.</p><p>"So," Lillie said. "The Fire-type Pokémon should try and light a fire, since I know May can use Ember. Does anyone see any sticks around here?"</p><p>After a few minutes of searching, a few sticks were uncovered.</p><p>"We could light them, and use them as torches," Misty suggested.</p><p>"But who would hold them?" Serena countered.</p><p>"Both of you; stop. Arguing will get us nowhere," May said.</p><p>"Maybe Chloe could use Physic powers? She's an Espeon, after all," Lana said.</p><p>All eyes turned towards Chloe. "Look, I can't do any magic tricks, if that's what you want to know. I'm sure we can all just <em>hold </em>the torches like normal peo- like normal Pokémon," she corrected herself.</p><p>After May lit the torches (Serena wasn't able to, at which Misty scoffed and Iris rolled her eyes), they were given to the non Ice and Fire-type Pokémon: Chloe, Mallow, Lana, Misty, and Iris.</p><p>"Sooo... Now what should we do?" Dawn asked.</p><p>"We should rest. We have a long journey ahead of us," Lana said.</p><p>"Yeah, but maybe if we talk we could figure out the similarities between us, and figure out a pattern among us. In other words, why we're all here," Mallow countered.</p><p>"We can talk on the way to wherever we're going. I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna sleep. It's been a long day," Iris said, and then yawned, successfully blowing out the flame on her stick-torch.</p><p>Chloe did the same. She didn't know anyone, anyway. The one thing she cared about now was getting back home.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Civilization and (Maybe) Cannibalism</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Iris cautiously watched Dawn and Lillie. She knew she could trust Dawn, and Lillie seemed like a good person... but they were <em>Ice-types.</em></p><p>No matter how much she told herself everything was alright, she wouldn’t fall asleep; because nothing was alright.</p><p>She had transformed into a Jangmo-o, and was with <em>one </em>person she knew, and then strangers, in a freezing mountain, probably in some far-off undiscovered region. </p><p>Iris was really regretting blowing out her torch. Now that all the others had done the same, the only light in the cave came from the dim glow of the stars and moon outside. </p><p>She set her head down, and shut her eyes, but sleep didn’t come for a long while.</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>Lana woke up to find herself in a wild ocean, with frothing waves thundering above her, and minimal light from something far up, presumably the sun.</p><p>Had she fallen of her dad’s boat? Had the whole thing with meeting the others, and turning into a Pokémon been just a dream?</p><p>...But if it was reality, she would have drowned by now. So it was either a dream, or she really had transformed into a Popplio... but she had been in the mountains, with no other terrain for miles and miles. Which meant...</p><p>Suddenly, a white blur zoomed past her, creating another catastrophic wave. But that wasn’t all it made...</p><p>”Damnit! I <em>knew </em>Dialgla was hiding something about his so called <em>preferred timeline</em>,” the creature muttered as it slowed to a stop, and then turned to face Lana.</p><p>”A Popplio? Did you come here to pray at the Temple of Waves?”</p><p>“Lugia...” she said, stunned.</p><p>”Look, I have places to be. A meeting with the screwed up Council is one of them.”</p><p>Suddenly, another wave roared, taking Lana with its currents.</p><p>~!~!~</p><p> </p><p>May rose to her paws, and yawned as the sun filtered in through the cave's entrance.</p><p>"Popplio… I mean, L-Lana?" she asked as the Popplio thrashed in her sleep. No response.</p><p>"W-what is it?" Mallow, the Leafeon, asked as she staggered to her nearly frozen paws. The cold hadn't been kind to a Grass-type like her.</p><p>"It's Lana. I think she's having a nightmare."</p><p>Mallow walked over to May's side, and poked the Popplio lightly. "Lana? Are you okay?"</p><p>A spasm gripped Lana's cold body, and suddenly her eyes blinked open.</p><p>"L-Lugia? W-where am I?" she stuttered.</p><p>"Lugia? Lana, you're here with all of us in a cave in the mountains," May said as she gestured to the sleeping forms of the others.</p><p>Lana looked around. "Ohh… That's good, I guess. Better than my dream…"</p><p>May and Mallow exchanged looks of concern. "Lana… what exactly <em>happened </em>in your dream?" the Vulpix asked slowly.</p><p>"I was in the ocean… far below the surface… Not to far above the twilight zone, maybe. And there were waves… and Lugia was complaining about a Council or something that he had to attend a meeting for."</p><p>"It was just a dream, Lana. Do you want me to light a torch for you?"</p><p>She nodded, and May picked up one of the discarded sticks from the previous night a relit it, and then handed it to the Popplio.</p><p>"Should we wake up the others?" Lana asked.</p><p>"Of course," Mallow said. "We need to keep heading south… surely we'll come upon civilization eventually?"</p><p>The three proceeded to wake up the other Pokémon, until they were all conscious and assembled within the cave's center.</p><p>"Today we'll continue heading south," May instructed while the others rubbed at their eyes.</p><p>After she lit some torches for the others who weren't Ice or Fire-types, the group set out.</p><p>Serena's stomach rumbled, and she blushed, turning her red fur even redder. "I haven't eaten since… the day before yesterday, at the earliest."</p><p>"If we found any food, I could cook!" Mallow offered.</p><p>"You can cook?" the Flareon asked. "I can bake! Maybe we could exchange recipes!"</p><p>"That would be great! Mallow's food is so amazing… Imagine what she could do with some new recipes!" Lillie said, mouth watering.</p><p>"I can make Pokéblocks!" May said. "And Dawn can make Poffins!"</p><p>The mini-group began talking about recipes, and eventually even those who couldn't cook or baked joined in… all except for Chloe.</p><p>"Hey… I think I see a light up ahead!" May shouted.</p><p>The others followed her gaze.</p><p>"I… I don't think that's a light," Misty said.</p><p>In the sky, a small dark circle was swirling around.</p><p>"Is that the sun or something?" May asked.</p><p>"No, it's over there. That's… That's something else," Dawn said.</p><p>The group silently watched swirling the vortex, and then continued on their path… but a sense of dread still lingered.</p><p>~!~!~</p><p>Chloe couldn't get the circular object in the sky out of her mind. Something about it was… not right. Wrong.</p><p>She couldn't remember anything like that from her father's studies. None of his papers discussed what looked like a hole in the sky.</p><p>Maybe when she got back from this twisted version of reality (if one could call it that) she could have her father send Ash and Goh to study it. Of course, that was assuming this was the same world as the one she knew and (didn't much) love.</p><p>She kept a small distance from the others, which generally worked, as they didn't try and talk to her much.</p><p>To kill time as the group continued on, Chloe went through every situation that could happen when they discovered a town. It could be abandoned, and only offer shelter and resources. It could filled with both people and Pokémon, which meant that they might all end up inside a Pokéball. Or maybe they would never find a town, and be stranded forever on this icy wasteland, eventually dying off one by one.</p><p>None of those options sounded very appealing, but those were only a few of all the scenarios she imagined and analyzed.</p><p>Around midday, when the sun was high in the middle of the sky (with that vortex not far off), the girls came upon a slant in the mountain. It wasn't too steep, which meant they could walk down it. And not far off was what looked like a town.</p><p>"Look! It's like a colosseum!" Misty shouted as she began racing down.</p><p>"Hey! Wait for me!" Iris shouted, her stubby legs rendering her nearly at a Goomy's pace.</p><p>"What about me?!" Lana said, who actually was at a Goomy's pace due to her flippers.</p><p>As the others picked up speed, Chloe did the same.</p><p>After a flat-out sprint from everyone but Lana and Iris, they were an eighth of a way down the mountainside.</p><p>"C'mon guys!" Dawn panted. "We-we have to keep going! Once we get down, it's not much farther to the town…"</p><p>"Could we take a break?" Serena huffed. "I mean, we're going downhill, but it's still a long way…"</p><p>"Not everyone's a Fire-type like yourself," Misty said. "<em>Some of us</em> would die if we spent a day longer in this weather."</p><p>Serena muttered something under her breath, and pushed past the Vaporeon.</p><p>"Not everyone's a Fire-type like yourself," Misty said. "<em>Some of us</em> would die if we spend a day longer in this weather."</p><p>Chloe ignored their petty squabble. It would be the both of them, not taking a break, that killed the group.</p><p>After more walking, they had reached the bottom of the slope, and dashed over to the cliffside, where you could see all the way down the rest of the mountain.</p><p>"Wow," Lillie said.</p><p>"Yes, it's <em>wow</em>. But we still have to get to the town," Misty said, pointing in the direction of the town.</p><p>In between them and their destination was a lava cave. It had rock platforms with bridges connecting them that you could use to pass through the cave, over the lava.</p><p>"Hey!" a voice said. A Swoobat swooped down, but stopped short when they saw the whole group.</p><p>"Whoa… there's a <em>lot </em>of you." Then they continued the flight down to the platform the girls was standing on.</p><p>"Hello, hello! I'm Alex! I assume all of you were lost in the mountains?"</p><p>Iris stepped forward and nodded. "Yes… Alex. Do you know much about that town?"</p><p>Alex nodded. "Oh, you mean the Colosseum! Of course I do! My husband is the Crag Area Keeper!"</p><p>"Crag Area Keeper?" May echoed.</p><p>"Yep! Ember the Emboar! A fine guy!"</p><p>"Sooo… is this Colosseum inhabited by any people or Pokémon?" Serena asked.</p><p>"I don't know what you mean by <em>people</em>, but we have Pokémon, yes."</p><p>"Could you take us there?" Dawn asked eagerly.</p><p>"Why, of course! Follow me!"</p><p>Alex began flying a few inches above the others heads, and led them to the Colosseum.</p><p>The Colosseum was a circular town. A wooden gate guarded its entrance, and the inhabitants inside. In its center was a Pokémon battle stadium. Along its walls were merchant booths and an inn.</p><p>"So, where're y'all from?" Alex asked as they led them inside.</p><p>"Uhm… I'm from Melemele Island in Alola," Lana piped up.</p><p>"Alola? Never heard of it. Is it in the Beyond Area or what?"</p><p>"The Beyond Area?" she asked.</p><p>"Yeah. Y'know, there are the four official Areas: the Crag Area, where we are now. The Cove Area, which has Cove Town, which connects to all the other Areas. The Arbor Area, which is where most Pokémon get their food, like fruits and vegetables from. And then the Tech Area, where new technologies are invented," Alex explained. "The Beyond Area is the name for anything in the PokéPark, aside from Wish Park, that isn't inside this four Areas."</p><p>"Well… Yeah, we're from the Beyond Area."</p><p>Alex nodded. "Cool, cool."</p><p>The group continued inside the Colosseum. Merchants called out, announcing free samples and sales. Pokémon filled the streets, creating a busy atmosphere. And in the center of the Colosseum, a battle was beginning.</p><p>"Come one, come all! With the demise of the Dark Vortex, the Crag Area Battle Tournament is once again underway!"</p><p><em>Dark Vortex? </em>Chloe thought. Could that be what was in the sky? But the announcer said it was gone…</p><p>"For the Battle One of Round One, we have Temin, a member of the Electro Aces! Let's give him a quick applause for the service he's done to the PokéPark!"</p><p>All the Pokémon that had gathered around began clapping.</p><p>"What did he do?" Misty asked.</p><p>"Oh, you wouldn't know. Basically, the Dark Vortex was going to swallow PokéPark and Wish Park, but Temin and the rest if the Electro Aces stopped it." Alex smiled proudly. "He's just like his father." They chuckled. "Luckily, he didn't take after me."</p><p>Chloe glanced over to them, but Lana had already responded. "Temin is your son?"</p><p>"Yep. A wonderful one, too. Anyway, shush. I want to watch his battle."</p><p>Alex flew closer to the center, and the others quickly followed them.</p><p>As it turned out, Temin was a Tepig. He was facing off against a Vikavolt.</p><p>"Temin! Temin! Temin!" the crowd chanted. The group joined in, but Chloe remained silent.</p><p>Temin dashed forward, hitting the Vikavolt with a Flame Charge. The move hit hard against the Bug-type.</p><p>Not giving him a break, Temin hit him again with a Flare Blitz.</p><p>As Temin landed on his feet, the Vikavolt crashed into the wall as he fainted.</p><p>"The winner of Battle One, Round One, is Temin!"</p><p>Alex flew over to the battlefield entrance, and congratulated his son.</p><p>"C'mon," Chloe whispered to Iris, who seemed to think she was the leader. "We should get some food, and a room at the inn."</p><p>"Do you have any money?" the Jangmo-o shot back, and then followed Alex.</p><p>"Ah, Temin, these are the Pokémon from the Beyond Area!"</p><p>"Really?! You guys are from the <em>Beyond Area</em>?" Temin asked.</p><p>Iris nodded. "Yep. Anyway, Alex, you were gonna show us around the Colosseum?"</p><p>Alex nodded. "Of course! Temin, could you go to your father?"</p><p>Temin's face fell. "But Alex! I <em>never </em>get to see you! It's like I only have one parent!"</p><p>"Look, this'll take just a second. When I'm finished, we can all eat dinner together, alright?"</p><p>Temin nodded, and dashed off to wherever the Crag Area Keeper was.</p><p>Alex turned towards the others. "So… Do you guys have any Berries?"</p><p>"Berries?" Mallow echoed. "Do you want us to cook or bake something?"</p><p>Alex chuckled. "Oh no! You guys must have a different currency in the Beyond Area! Here, and in the other Areas, we use Berries. Y'know, for money."</p><p>"Oh. No, we don't have any Berries."</p><p>"That's… not good. Okay… I'll pay for your inn and food, for a little while, at least. <em>But </em>you guys also have to get a job. Being married to an Area Keeper gets me Berries, but that doesn't mean I can throw them around. At least, not too much."</p><p>"Thank you!" they all said, even Chloe.</p><p>They followed Alex around as they haggled with some merchants, and then as they rented a room at the inn.</p><p>"I'm not sure if it'll fit all of ya'll, but it's the best I could do."</p><p>They led the group to their room. It was sparsely decorated, with a few nests of straw, blankets, pillows, a cupboard, and a fireplace.</p><p>"It's wonderful. Thank you, Alex," Dawn said politely.</p><p>They dipped their head and left the others to the room.</p><p>"We should all push the straw into one big nest near the fireplace," Misty suggested. "That way we could all be as warm as possible."</p><p>May lit the wood in the fireplace, and then quickly dashed over to help the others.</p><p>They went through the food Alex had purchased. There was some vegetables, fruits, the Berries that were the currency in the PokéPark, and…</p><p>"W-where'd they get <em>meat </em>from?!" Serena shrieked.</p><p>"Oh, look meat. How scary," Misty said, as she took a bite.</p><p>"Uhh… you realize that could be called cannibalism?" Lana said.</p><p>Misty spit the meat out. "What the hell?! These guys are <em>cannibals</em>?!"</p><p>"Well, we don't know much about the Pokémon here. Who knows where the meat came from. But, we can't afford to just toss it," Iris said.</p><p>"B-b-but… <em>cannibalism</em>!" Serena protested.</p><p>"Hey, it's either that or starvation. Take your pick."</p><p>Serena took a carrot from the bag. "Maybe as a last resort."</p><p>Chloe took an apple and munched on it. She definitely wasn't as cold or starving as the previous night… but there were still so many things to worry about.</p><p>What kind of job would they get? Would they make enough to pay for the room and food?</p><p>And what was that thing in the sky?</p><p>But she could cross that bridge when she came to it. For now, she would be happy with what she had.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Remember, reviews are appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. What’s Illegal?!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Early the next morning, Serena quietly left the hotel room. Her plan was to see what kind of merchants made the most money (or Berries, as was the currency), what products they sold, where they had positioned their booth, that kind of thing.</p>
<p>Leaving the inn, she walked along the Colosseum. Battles in the tournament raged on below, and fans crowded the streets, trying to get the closest to the action.</p>
<p>Serena had never liked battles that much. Ash had shown her there was strategy involved, but it still seemed reliant on brute force to her; well, and the occasional Physic-type Pokémon's telekinesis.</p>
<p>Observing the haggling exchanges between customer and manager, Serena noticed that meat (errrr, that's normal, then) was what sparked the most heated discussion of prices. Not just that, but while most other products stayed in the range of single and double numbers, meat got into triple, quadruple, and higher numbers. It made her feel bad for complaining about it the previous night. Alex must have dropped a lot of Berries just to get them into a good situation.</p>
<p>Suddenly, she noticed a tug on her tail. "Excuse me? Could you light a torch for me, please?"</p>
<p>She looked down, and saw a small Bidoof, with a stick clasped in her paws. It was looking up at her expectingly.</p>
<p>"Oh, well I…" she stammered. She still hadn't grasped the use of moves in her Flareon form; but she couldn't just turn the poor Pokémon away.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the top end of it bursted into flames. "Thank you, thank you so much!" the Bidoof cried. She got the sense she would've hugged her if it wasn't for the now lit torch.</p>
<p>Serena looked around to see who could have possibly been the source of the spark. All of the Pokémon seemed to be minding their own business… except for an anthropomorphic cloaked one.</p>
<p>The Pokémon didn't move as Serena approached them. "Um, did you… light that torch?" she asked nervously.</p>
<p>The Pokémon pulled back their hood to reveal a Kirlia. "A Fire-type Pokémon who refuses to light a torch. That's not something you see every day," she said.</p>
<p>Serena would've been blushing if she were a human right then. "I, I, I would've if I could… how'd you light it anyway?"</p>
<p>"Telekinesis and friction," she replied simply, pulled her hood back up, and began walking away. "You never saw me."</p>
<p>"Wait!" Serena called after the Kirlia. "Why? Why are you just leaving?"</p>
<p>"Why should I trust that you won't tell the Crag Area Keeper that I used my telekinesis? Better safe than sorry."</p>
<p>"Why would I tell him? You helped that Bidoof!"</p>
<p>The Kirlia looked like she was about to snap, but took a few breaths in and out. "Where're you from; the Beyond Area?"</p>
<p>Serena nodded. She got the sense she would be asked that question a lot.</p>
<p>"Well, look. Here in the PokéPark, in the four Areas, telekinesis and telepathy is outlawed. Illegal. If you told someone, I'd be imprisoned, or worse. Understand now, Beyonder?"</p>
<p>"My name's Serena!" she shouted after her. "Not Beyonder!"</p>
<p>The Kirlia just shook her head and continued away.</p>
<p>~!~!~</p>
<p>"So, I can do performances here in the Colosseum! Like my water ballets back in Kanto!" Misty said as she explained her idea to the others.</p>
<p>Serena opened the door, and quietly took a seat next to Chloe.</p>
<p>"Misty, I don't think that would work. There's not any liquid bodies of water up this high in the mountains," Lana said.</p>
<p>Misty scowled. "Anyone have any <em>better </em>ideas?"</p>
<p>"We could just do performances. May and I are Coordinators, after all."</p>
<p>"And I'm a Pokémon Performer!" Serena piped up.</p>
<p>Misty glared at her. <em>She </em>was supposed to come up with the great idea that could earn them all a million Berries. At least, in a way, she still did.</p>
<p>"I dunno…" Mallow murmured. "I was thinking I could use the ingredients and cook food to sell on the street."</p>
<p>"Why don't we all do what we want?" Iris suggested. "That way, we'll all be doing what we're best at, and make the most Berries."</p>
<p>"That's a great idea!" Dawn said. "Let's do it!"</p>
<p>Misty wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. She couldn't perform, or cook, or do anything useful… unless.</p>
<p>She left their room and rang the bell on the inn's front desk. "Excuse me? Do you get paid if you win the Crag Area Battle Tournament?"</p>
<p>The manager lowered the magazine he was reading and looked over at the Vaporeon. "Yeah, there's a Berry prize. Why, you wanna compete?" When Misty nodded, he laughed. "Kid, registration's over. You'll have to wait until next time."</p>
<p>She cursed under her breath as she re-entered the inn room. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't just sit in the room and eat what was left of the food Alex had gotten them. She <em>had </em>to contribute.</p>
<p><em>Wait… </em>Her mind flashed back to the advertisement that had been on the manager's magazine.</p>
<p>'<em>Need Berries? Want to get 'em quick an' easy? Then apply now for a job at Wish Park! See your local Wish Park Zone for details. While positions last.'</em></p>
<p>But if her memory served her, there were only five <em>Areas</em>, not Zones. Her head was spinning with all the details of this new world.</p>
<p>"Uhm, Misty, are you okay? You look upset."</p>
<p>"No, I'm fine. I just think I need to read something… a book, about wherever we are."</p>
<p>"PokéPark," Serena answered curtly. "We're in the PokéPark."</p>
<p>"How'd you know that?"</p>
<p>"Someone I met told me." She shifted uncomfortably.</p>
<p>"Anyway, I think I saw some brochures near the front desk," Lillie said. "I could go grab one for you."</p>
<p>"That would be great, thanks."</p>
<p>After receiving it, Misty and the others scanned through it. Some of it was information they knew, other things were new.</p>
<p>According to the brochure, there were five Areas in the PokéPark: the Crag Area, where they were now. The Cove Area, the Arbor Area, the Arcane Area, and the Tech Area.</p>
<p>However, there was also a place called <em>Wish Park</em>, separate from the PokéPark. It had four Zones: the Cake Zone, the Dance Zone, the Power Zone, and the Flight Zone, along with Wish Palace.</p>
<p>There was a lot more information, but Misty only skimmed through it. In the Colosseum, there was supposed to be something called a Poster Portal (who was coming up with all of these stupid names? Poster Portal, Cake Zone, Wish Park?), which would take them to the Power Zone in Wish Park.</p>
<p>When Misty looked back up, she discovered that some of the others had already left. May, Dawn, and Serena must have left to perform on the streets. Lillie, Iris, Lana, and Chloe had left to seek job opportunities. Only she and Mallow remained.</p>
<p>The Leafeon was busy cooking; she was probably planning on selling the food to Pokémon who were browsing along the merchants' booths.</p>
<p>Misty grabbed the brochure, and dashed out to find the others.</p>
<p>~!~!~</p>
<p>Lillie sighed. So far, it seemed as though hiring employers were nonexistent. She, Iris, and Lana had already toured what seemed like almost all of the Colosseum. Chloe had gone off on her own, for some reason or another.</p>
<p>"Guys, wait up!" Misty shouted.</p>
<p>The Vaporeon was running with a brochure in her mouth. It was the same one Lillie had grabbed for her.</p>
<p>"I have an idea for a job…"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Enter Wish Park!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Iris, Lana, Lillie, and Misty were all heading for the 'Poster Portal', or so it was called.</p>
<p>"I'm still not sure about this, Misty. All we know is that Wish Park is hiring. We don't know about how much they'll pay us, how they treat their employees, heck, we don't even know what job they want us to do!" Lillie said as the group approached the Poster Portal.</p>
<p>"Lillie, it's our only chance at a job!"</p>
<p>"Actually, I've seen a lot of hiring posters around here. And, according to most of the brochures I've read, the unofficial capital of the PokéPark is Cove Town in the Cove Area, so there might be more job opportunities there," Lana said.</p>
<p>"Whatever! Look, Lana, Lillie, and you too Iris, according to those same brochures, Wish Park has become the primary travel and trade route, since it has Poster Portals in all four main Areas. If we fail the interview, we can just take one of those to the Cove Area. Happy?"</p>
<p>The other Pokémon sighed, but nodded their heads. Misty beamed.</p>
<p>"Heya. Heading to 'da Power Zone in Wish Park?" a Krokorok asked.</p>
<p>They nodded.</p>
<p>"That'll be ten Berries. Each."</p>
<p>"What?! The job poster didn't say anything about a fee!" Misty protested.</p>
<p>"Job poster? Whaddya mean?"</p>
<p>Misty told him about the poster in the magazine.</p>
<p>"Ha! 'Dat magazine's old, kid. From before 'da changes in 'da economy. We're not hiring now, and even if we were, you'd still hafta pay."</p>
<p>Misty was about to give the Krokorok a firm talking to when Lillie tugged on her paw. "C'mon. We can find a job elsewhere."</p>
<p>"But we can still use the Poster Portal and Wish Park to see if there are jobs in Cove Town!"</p>
<p>"Look, stop acting like such a little kid."</p>
<p>"She's right, Iris. We have enough Berries to pay for it."</p>
<p>"But why would we <em>pay </em>to look for a job? And even if there was one, we'd have to pay Berries every day to use the Poster Portals to get here and back!"</p>
<p>"That's assuming we stay here."</p>
<p>"Why would we leave?! Alex already paid for who knows how many nights!"</p>
<p>"We can get a refund, probably. Now c'mon. Stop acting like a little kid," Lillie said, smirking a bit. Misty appreciated her saying that, since it was pretty out of character for her.</p>
<p>They turned back to the Krokorok, and handed him the Berries.</p>
<p>"Alright. Follow me."</p>
<p>He led them to a poster. Seriously, a poster. When Misty had heard they were called 'Poster Portals', she hadn't taken it literally.</p>
<p>"Before 'dat Reuniclus did some science-y stuff and strengthened the Poster Portals or sum shit, all 'da Pokémon from 'da Crag Area had ta come and open it through 'da power of friendship." The Krokorok snorted as it jabbed some buttons on a pad near the Poster Portal. "Idiotic, ain't it?"</p>
<p>Suddenly, the poster seemed to tear from the wall, revealing a set of wooden double doors. The doors opened, leaving only a glowing blue swirl behind.</p>
<p>"I give ya 'da Poster Portal! Please, enter cautiously."</p>
<p>Misty turned to the others. Iris glowered at her, with a look that said <em>this was your dumb idea.</em></p>
<p>She gulped, and stuck a paw into the swirl. When it disappeared, she found herself being pulled in closer, until all of her body was lost in the swirl.</p>
<p>~!~!~</p>
<p>Iris lifted her head tentatively, and slowly opened her eyes.</p>
<p>"Hellooooo! Wakey wakey! Oh, you're awake! Good, good!" a Gothita said. "Welcome to Wish Park! I see you're with your friends!"</p>
<p>She looked around at the scenery, and nearly vomited.</p>
<p>She and the others had fallen onto a stone pathway with old zen railing, that seemed to lead to a house not unlike those found in Konikoni City in Alola.</p>
<p>But that wasn't the part that was so disorientating. That came from the fact that if you looked over the rails, you would see an infinite abyss. It was almost as though the platform was somewhere in space, albeit somewhere with oxygen.</p>
<p>"Serene, isn't it? Wish Park is so relaxing when you first enter... but of course, it can stay that way if you so desire it! Because here at Wish Park, the enjoyment of our guests is our first priority!"</p>
<p>Iris was pretty sure that was what every business said its first priority was, but she wasn't focused on that fact. Instead, she was trying to recall exactly <em>why </em>she was in Wish Park.</p>
<p>"Anyway, welcome to the Power Zone! I assume you're here to try out the Attractions? Power Bash can be found here, but you're free to travel to the other Zones if you so desire! Remember, here at Wish Park, <em>you </em>are our priority!"</p>
<p>Iris's mind felt jumbled. She was supposed to be going somewhere... but where?</p>
<p>Oh, just forget it. Only a little kid wasted time trying to remember stuff, when they could be having fun.</p>
<p>"The Power Bash? What's that?" Lillie asked. Her eyes seemed unfocused, and blurry... nah, Iris was just seeing things!</p>
<p>"Oh, I should show you, shouldn't I? Follow me!"</p>
<p><em>I should follow her... </em>Iris thought.</p>
<p>And so she did, along with Lillie, Lana, and Misty.</p>
<p>After a bit of walking, she noticed a bell higher up.</p>
<p>"What's that?" she asked, pointing to it lazily.</p>
<p>"That's none of your concern," the Gothita answers.</p>
<p>
  <em>Well, I don't have any reason not to trust her. If it's not my concern, it's not my concern.</em>
</p>
<p>~!~!~</p>
<p>
  <em>"Keldeo, what is it?" Virizion asked.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"It's just... can we trust Wish Park? What they did before..."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"It's okay. Darkrai and Gothitelle are better now. They just want to run a business."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"But... what's the purpose of that business?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Virizion hesitated. "I'm not sure..."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Keldeo looked at her. "I'm gonna check it out. As a Sword of Justice, I have the authority to."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I'll get the others," she said. "But you remember how they were... when they were just Drake and Kira. Darkrai and Gothitelle would never go back to their old ways."</em>
</p>
<p><em>"Unless something </em>else <em>is in control..."</em></p>
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